by William Rizzo | Mar 14, 2023 | Leadership Skills
2022 was an interesting year for leaders, filled with many leadership challenges.
Unhealthy employee engagement and well-being contributed to the negative perception of disorderly workplaces worldwide. Some workers reevaluated their work lives, while others overhauled their jobs. Some people shared testimonials regarding “silent resignation,” “coasting at work,” and “soft firing” on social media as a way to communicate their discontent.
Many employees switched to “hybrid work,” spending time in the office and working from home. Relationships deteriorated. Managers ordered everyone to resume working full-time in extreme circumstances, and employees disobeyed.
Due to the impending continuation of the economic slump and the declining consumer confidence, there is significant concern about the future of the workplace. Leaders must adjust since our way of working and living has changed. Here are some critical areas in which our team suggests those in leadership roles focus some attention:
Leadership Challenges: Employee Engagement
The productivity, morale, growth, and retention of an organization’s staff depend on employee engagement. Engaged workers consistently achieve and stay on the job longer because they are enthusiastic and invested. Employee involvement had steadily increased in the US for ten years before the COVID-19 outbreak. But the pandemic persisted, and leadership initiatives failed.
The stagnation of employee engagement is one of the main issues facing businesses and entire economies as we approach 2023 and beyond.
Leadership Challenges: Office Environment
In the United States, more than half of full-time workers with remote work options work in a hybrid capacity. Just 2 out of 10 employees are currently entirely on-site, and only 6% of remote-capable workers want to work exclusively on-site in the future.
Asking employees where they work best will be critical to “making hybrid work work” in the future. When a worker’s chosen work location differs from their actual location, employee engagement falls dramatically, they are more likely to burn out, and they are more likely to quit their job.
Hybrid teams must learn to effectively plan their calendars to enhance teamwork and meet client needs. Hybrid workers are more engaged when work schedules and policies are jointly established by the team rather than the corporation or an individual.
Leadership Challenges: Workplace culture
Hybrid workers feel more part of their organization’s culture than entirely on-site employees. This challenges the idea that “the workplace” and “culture” are inseparable. Even with the effectiveness of face-to-face contacts, hybrid employees are better off from more planned offline and online experiences. They might think their organization values and trusts them more by having greater autonomy, strengthening their bond with their employer.
With the help of hybrid work, employers and employees can clarify their expectations, and enterprises can exit “default mode.” In light of the modern hybrid workplace, many leaders will be pushed to reevaluate their workplace cultures. It will be necessary to reinvent the “why” and “how” that underpin the work techniques, guidelines, and standards. Above all, we suggest creating an atmosphere where workers feel more involved in creating the new culture.
The benefits for organizations committed to developing a strong workplace culture that emphasizes employee engagement and well-being include improved productivity, profitability, and customer growth. They outperform their less dedicated competitors, especially during economic downturns. If your organization has questions about improving the workplace and productivity in 2023, please contact us. Our leadership experts can help you design and implement a plan to meet your business objectives.
by William Rizzo | Feb 6, 2023 | Leadership Skills
In your business, you must work toward setting your team up for success. For your business to succeed, it requires a great team, but powerful teams don’t just happen.
As a leader, it is your duty to assemble a formidable group of team members. But, identifying the right people is just part of the success equation. You also need to consider the following management strategies.
Identify the individual’s natural ability and allow them to focus on it.
Every team member is a master at something. If Pamela loves social media marketing, why not let her run a brand-new LinkedIn campaign? If Jamie enjoys sales and identifying new opportunities, why not place him in a role that offers incentives when closing new business?
Identifying those unique talents allows the team member to concentrate on what they do best. This will lead to increased retention and productivity.
Communication is key to setting your team up for success.
Consistent communication is essential for building a team. Speaking to the group as a whole and each individual falls under this. We recommend you make regular appointments for weekly one-on-one meetings with each team leader. Review wins and challenges and discuss how they are tracking against goals and objectives. We also recommend you establish a weekly team meeting to recognize accomplishments, establish team priorities and foster an environment of sharing ideas.
Get comfortable with altering your management style to fit the needs of team members.
Even if you want to be a hands-on manager, your team might prefer you to work as a support person behind the scenes. They may feel micromanaged if you insist on being hands-on with a hands-off employee. As a result, every leader should ascertain how their employees desire to be treated and adjust their approach.
For instance, would your staff prefer daily check-ins or simply meeting when necessary? You can strengthen your team by identifying how they like to be supported.
Team members will ultimately produce their greatest work with the right amount of support, which can provide them the autonomy and motivation they need to accomplish their best work.
Our team at Maximum Accountability helps leaders increase productivity, attract top talent, and improve the employee experience. All of these goals are possible with strong leadership. If you are ready to crush your goals this year, it is time to take action. From self-study to on-site workshops, we offer several options to help your organization reach new levels of success. Contact us today; we look forward to hearing from you.
by William Rizzo | Nov 15, 2022 | Leadership Skills
As your company grows from its early stages, you’ll have to take on new roles and responsibilities as the founder. This means coaching your employees and getting the coaching you need to be an effective leader. Here’s why founders need leadership coaching, too — and how you can use it to strengthen your business at all stages.
Startup Stage
When starting a company, founders often direct all their attention to launching their product or service at the expense of personal development. As a result, they miss opportunities to learn new skills and hone their existing ones. What’s more, they’re unable to help their employees do the same.
The success of the company at this stage often depends on how well the founder makes decisions, moves quickly, and hires the right team. Leadership coaching in this stage is crucial — even amounting to a “secret startup superpower” — because it helps founders learn how to set their companies up for success. It also enables them to begin stepping into coaching and mentorship roles for their employees. This can be extremely important as your team grows and evolves.
Growth Stage
As your company grows, your team will grow, too. As a leader, you will need people skills to help your team navigate both triumphs and setbacks — both of which are inevitable.
Developing those skills requires leadership coaching, so you can effectively scale yourself into a mentorship role. As you step into that role, you can use the coaching you’ve received to coach your employees.
The best part? The more you hone your leadership skills, the more your employees will grow confident in your leadership ability. In turn, they will trust that you have the skills to manage, delegate, and develop the team. Simply put, they will feel comfortable focusing on their jobs, knowing there’s a strong leader at the helm.
Late Stages
The founder may take a step away from day-to-day processes in late-stage companies. As you do so, it’s important that you know how to motivate and inspire your team members, so they can successfully carry out tasks on their own.
Here’s where human-focused skills become even more critical. As cross-functional relationships develop throughout the company, leaders must help facilitate seamless communications and collaboration. For work to get done, peers need to work together and a great leader to guide the way — making leadership coaching more crucial than ever for the company founder.
Leaders Need Coaching at Every Stage
In order to grow and evolve as a successful leader, leadership coaching is essential. Coaching at each stage can help entrepreneurs strike a balance between their personal needs and those of their company and its team.
If you’re looking to take your organization to the next level of success as you grow, contact us at Maximum Accountability. With our help, you can conquer goals at every stage and propel your business to new heights.
by William Rizzo | Oct 11, 2022 | Leadership Skills
According to research, about 72% of business leaders believe that accountability is integral to their organizations. However, only over 30% said their leaders lead with it. The thing is, if you want to be successful, you need to lead with accountability.
What does that mean? It means being responsible for your actions and ensuring you meet your goals. It means taking ownership of success or failure. Too many people try to blame others, but a true leader takes responsibility for their actions. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can become a more accountable person.
The Importance of Accountability
Leaders are the backbone of any organization. They set the tone for the company and ensure everyone is working towards the goal. Accountability is one of the essential qualities of a leader. When leaders are accountable, it sets a precedent for the rest of the organization and shows that they’re committed to their goals. Here’s why leadership accountability matters.
Promotes a Positive Work Environment
When leaders are accountable, it creates a positive work environment where employees feel appreciated and valued. Employees who feel their efforts are recognized are more likely to be engaged and productive. On the other hand, when leaders are not accountable, poor leadership can lead to a toxic work environment where employees feel like their hard work is going unnoticed.
Improves Communication
Communication is key to any organization, but it’s crucial for leaders. Accountable leaders take the time to listen to their employees and understand their needs. This open line of communication fosters mutual respect between leaders and employees and helps to create a more cohesive working relationship.
Increases Productivity
When leaders are accountable, it leads to increased productivity across the board. In addition, employees feel motivated to work harder when they know their efforts will be recognized and rewarded. Accountability also leads to better time management as leaders are more likely to focus on tasks that will significantly impact the company’s bottom line.
How to Lead with Accountability
When you lead with accountability, you create a culture of engagement within your organization. This can have a positive ripple effect on employee morale, productivity, and overall success. Here are some tips on how to lead with accountability in organizations:
Communicate Openly and Honestly with Your Team Members
When you are clear about expectations and give people the information they need to succeed, it helps build trust and creates a more positive work environment. Furthermore, honest communication will help to prevent misunderstandings and errors.
Take Responsibility for Your Words and Actions
This includes owning up to your mistakes and learning from them. It is also important to be open to feedback from others so you can continue to grow and improve as a leader.
Encourage Others to Do the Same
You can set the example yourself and ensure accountability is included in your organization’s core values. You can also reinforce accountability by providing constructive feedback and offering opportunities for growth and development.
Hold Yourself and Others Accountable
This means following through on your commitments and holding team members accountable for their words and actions. When people know they will be held accountable for their decisions, they are more likely to take responsibility for their choices.
Figure Out What Needs Improvement
After some time has passed, evaluating what needs improvement about being held accountable within the workplace is vital. This could look like anything from reflecting on what changes need to occur to prevent future conflict to losing or gaining teamwork skills.
A Guide to Leading with Accountability
Leading with accountability is one of the most crucial leadership skills an individual can possess. You take responsibility for your actions and decisions, as well as the actions and decisions of your team.
If you want to learn more about how to lead with accountability, purchase a copy of Maximum Accountability or enroll in our in-person or self-study workshop. Whichever you choose, you will learn everything you need to know about accountability in leadership.
by William Rizzo | Sep 12, 2022 | Leadership Skills
Cultivating future leaders within your company is crucial for a company’s success. While you may start with well-educated young professionals, guiding them toward managerial positions can be tricky and require a lot of work. Hiring good people is the first step toward creating good leaders. Giving them opportunities to showcase their leadership skills and teaching them the ropes is the second. This article contains a few tips for doing just that.
Identify Future Leaders
Team members who go above and beyond the call of duty make all the difference in a project’s success. Unfortunately, a performance review doesn’t always communicate an employee’s hard work or dedication. Create HR files for each team member to record their accomplishments and thoughts on projects, along with their soft skills, like working well with others and approaching projects with a positive attitude. These files will help identify strong leaders and make staffing decisions down the road.
Create Career Growth Opportunities
You must create employee growth opportunities to continue developing leaders within your organization. It isn’t enough to say you promote from within; you need to follow through on those promises if you want people to stick around for the long haul and grow into leadership positions.
Promoting from within is an essential aspect of business development, and it can extend the benefits of your organization. Outsourcing or assigning new hires can cause top talent to leave their positions, taking vital leadership skills with them. Of course, you need to be aware of the company’s needs, but it also is a good idea to recognize the loyal employees who have worked hard to grow into leadership roles.
Invest in Employees
Although many people have leadership potential, not everyone is a natural-born leader. When developing your team’s leadership skills, you don’t want to wait for people to fall into leadership roles naturally. You might see that some of your employees show leadership ability but aren’t ready yet.
You can bring out the best in people and cultivate their leadership skills by offering your employees ongoing training, development, mentoring, or coaching with senior leaders. In addition, investing in employee growth and development shows them you care about their success. As a result, they will be more likely to want to work toward leadership positions rather than just collect a paycheck every other week or leave for another job.
Show Your Appreciation
Training and development are essential, as are proper compensation and benefits. However, one of the most powerful things you can do for employees is to show that you appreciate them for their work. You can accomplish this through several ways, including praise, public recognition, gifts, and rewards — even something as simple as asking an employee to write a blog post can be a powerful way of showing your appreciation. Employee recognition doesn’t have to cost much, but it has the potential to reap huge dividends in terms of morale, productivity, and employee retention.
As you work to develop leaders in your organization, it might help to consult with the experts at Maximum Accountability to be sure you’re on the right track. Reach out to us to start the process.
by William Rizzo | Aug 18, 2022 | Leadership Skills
The impact of poor leadership stretches far beyond company culture. According to a Gallup survey, 70 percent of employee engagement is directly influenced by managers. Additionally, company cultures with low employee engagement produce the highest turnover. With these statistics in mind, it’s safe to say that company leadership, whether good or bad, trickles down. If a company is underperforming or not meeting expectations, the cause can nearly always be traced back to leadership. Company leaders set the tone, the pace, the culture, and the overall expectations for a company. But, it’s not enough for managers to “point the way.” They must lead by example. If company leaders fail to do this, the results are often disastrous, decreasing profits and increasing turnover.
How Poor Leadership Influences Employees
Company leaders must understand that they affect more than just their employees’ moods. Poor leadership can cause the downfall of a company in several ways.
A Wayward Staff
Indecisive, impulsive leadership can cause a severe lack of direction for the staff. If employees don’t know where the company is going, they can’t be expected to get there. Although being impulsive can sometimes be considered a positive trait (i.e., making tough decisions on the fly, momentary bursts of inspiration, etc.), it seems that when it comes to the staff as a whole, it does more harm than good. When company expectations are constantly changing or rearranging, employees don’t know where or how to extend their efforts, resulting in indifference, the last thing a good leader wants from their staff.
Unstable Environment
Companies need strong leaders to establish a solid foundation on which to grow. Unfortunately, incompetent leaders tend to paper over issues rather than address the root causes. When this happens, employees feel the impact. With random tasks, sudden deadlines, and poorly communicated expectations, employees may feel they are being set up to fail. When they do inevitably fall short, company leaders rarely take the blame, instead focusing it all on a befuddled employee. This lack of security in the workplace will cause good workers to start searching the job boards. Employees need a consistent, reliable company culture to focus their total energy on their performance.
Low Company Morale
It’s not surprising that low morale is one of the direct results of poor leadership. Unreliable leaders who aren’t mentally or emotionally tuned into the company culture set a negative tone. Without respect and validation, employees feel neglected and can grow resentful. A resentful employee will not yield the same results as an employee who feels understood and valued by company leaders.
How Poor Leadership Affects the Company
No one wants to work in a constantly changing, unstable environment where their efforts go unnoticed. When this happens, employees will look elsewhere. High turnover has astronomical costs for companies. According to Gallup, the cost of replacing one employee ranges from one-half to two times that employee’s annual salary. And that’s not including the loss of productivity and the hit to staff morale. When one employee leaves, the others will get curious and start considering it themselves.
Work With Us
If you’re ready to improve the leadership in your company, work with us at Maximum Accountability. Our expert leadership training will teach you how to increase productivity, attract better workers, and improve the overall employee experience. We’ll give you the tools you need to become a high-performance leader. Take the first step toward excellent leadership, and contact us today.
